H is for Happy Life.

Since today is for the letter H, it seems appropriate to talk about why I chose this blog name. Well, way back when I started blogging, I couldn't find another happy life blog so that helped. Imagine my surprise when I tried to secure "thehappylifeblog" dot com and it was taken! By someone who started blogging just after I did! Well. Whatever! (I'm sure she's very sweet LOL). Now I search google and there's a whole list of happy life blogs but I'm the original (maybe not but let's go with it).

Anyway. This blog has been around for a little over four years with this name (previously I called it something like shades of blue.. it was on livejournal and xanga before that... yes... I'm old).

Do not be deceived. I did not call this "the happy life blog" because I'm always happy. I don't want to come across that way at all. Sometimes I have bad days when I'm angry for no reason, or I'm cynical or hateful, and I will write about those days (with wreckless abandon).

But the fact is, my perspective is what keeps me joyful.

via

As it is written,
     "weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning";

and elsewhere,
     "the faithful steadfastness of the Lord never ceases, 
          his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; 
     great is your faithfulness";

and again,
     "by day the Lord commands his steadfast love, 
          and at night his song is with me";

and,
     "I know my redeemer lives 
          and at the last he will stand upon the earth".


How I could go on and on! Why should my soul be downcast? Whom shall I fear? The victory has already been won. Yes, we have to face the troubles of life...

(That would be when a car breaking down when you have $50 in your account and you still have a week left to feed yourselves before the next paycheck; when you find out your dog is having puppies and her emergency c-section cleaned out your savings and you have to buy food her for twice a week; making a mistake that affects your career; losing a friend because you are too ridiculous to think about things in her shoes -- or through God's eyes; having a bad attitude in Los Angeles traffic and streaming obscenities for two hours... while you're headed to your seminary class; struggling with trust and abandonment issues... I THINK YOU GET THE POINT!!)

In this life you will have trouble. But take heart. Jesus has overcome the world!


Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
    his understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the faint,
    and to him who has no might he increases strength.
Even youths shall faint and be weary,
    and young men shall fall exhausted;
but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
    they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
    they shall walk and not faint.        Isaiah 40:28-31

.

Perspective. Get some.

and live a hapy life :)

UPDATE: As an aside. I do not believe "God doesn't give us more than we can handle". That is false. We rejoice in our weakness, because God's power is made perfect in weakness. When we can't do it and it gets done, God gets the glory. Hence, "peace that surpasses understanding". Just had to put that out there. :)